Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-09-25
-nUUS MIRAGE.
STRANGE OPTICAL ILLUSIONS on THE HIGH
HIGH PLAINS.
Phenomena That SArte Victims Of hAsieans Of
Ire Air-WCRderS Of Nature That
Seem Almost Beyond
Belief
sun FFuncisco EndRiRsr.


which my own sense of sight has been be
fooled by the freaks Of the enchanter.
One summer morning, 21 years ago, in
the upper North Platte country, Irose from
my blankets, performed pious act of sun
worship by yawning toward the east, kick
together the parted embers of my campfire
and bethought me of water for my ablu-
tiOnS.
We had gone into bivonac late in the
night on an open pain, and without any
clear notion Of where We were. There
were a halt dozen Of US, the leader being
the late General Hazen, at the time OF his
death, year ago, chief signal officer
He was then on a tour of inspection OF
the new military post in Montana, aud L
accompanied the expedition as surveyor.
Having an aspiration for water, | natur-
ally looked about to see what might be the
prospect OF obtaining IL, and to my surprise
and delight saw long line OF willows,
apparently some 500 yards away. Will
lows implied water, and snatching up
camp kettle ! started forward, without
taking the trouble TO put on my coat and
hat
certain cheerful hopeiulness, but when the
sun had risen further toward the meridian
and began to effect my bare head most I'M
comfortably, and the picketed horses at
the camp were hull down on the horizon
in the rear, aud the willows IN front III
creased their pace out Of all proportion to
mine, began TO grow discouraged and sat
down on q stone to wish myself back. Per
ceiving that the willows had also halted
for breath, determined 10 make dash at
them, leaving the camp kettle behind to
make its way back rs best it could to my
hat and coat
was now travelling flying light, and
had no doubt of my ability TO overtake the
enemy, which had, however. disappeared
over the crest ola low Sandhill. Ascending
this was treated TO a surprise.
Right ahead OF me lay barren waste Of
sand extending to the right and left IS tar
as | could see. Its width in the direction
that was going Judged to be about 20
miles. On its farther border the cactus
plain began again, sloping gradually up
ward toward the horizon, along which was
q fringe OF cedar trees-the willows Of my
vision! In that country a cedar will not
grow within 80 miles OF water ii it knows
/.
On my return journey | oOldly ignored
the appeals of the camp kettle, and when
met the reScuing party, which had been
for some hours trailing me, made no allu-
sion To the real purpose OF my excursion.
When Hazen asked If proposed to enter
plea OF temporary insanity | replied that |
would reserve my defense for the present,
and in fact never did disclose it till now.
had alterward the satisfaction OF seeing
Hazen. an experienced plainsman, consume
a full hour, rite in hand, working round
to the Ieeward of a dead coyote in the sure
aud certain hope of bagging sleeping buff
falO. Mirage OF no mirage, you must not
too implicitly trust yOur eyes in the fan
tastic atmosphere Of the high plains.
| remember that one forenoon | looked
forward 10 the base of the Big Horn Noun
tains AMI selected a most enchanting monk
Tor the nights camp. My good opinion OF
il was confirmed when we reached 1t three
days later.
The deception in this instance was due
TO nothing but The marvellous lucidity OF
the atmosphere and the absence Of objects
of known dimensions, and these sources Of
error are s1utti mes sufficient OF themselves
TO produce the most incredible Illusions
When th-r are in alliance with the mirage
the combinations pranks are simply he
wildeung.
One OF tn most grote gre and l,a't COM
Portable of uav Experiences with the magI-
clans OF the air occurred near the forks OF
the Platte There had been tremendous
thunderstorm, lasting all night In the
morning mg party set forward over the
.ln 1E n
tenSely blue.
l was riding in advance absorbed in
thought. when was suddenly reused to a
sense of material things by ordinations OF
establishment aud apprehension from the
men behind Looking forward beheld
truly terrifying spectacle.
Immediately in front at distance ap-
parently of no. more than = quarter Of a
mile, was a loug line of the most fOrmid-
able looking monsters that the imagination
ever conceived. They were taller than
trees Ia them the elements Of nature
seemed 80 tautaStically and discOrdautly
mixed and hleuded, compounded, too,
with architectural and mechanical details,
that they plytOOk at the triple character OF
animals. houses and machines. Legs they
had, and IA army with banners could have
marched between: bodies and ships might
have sailed between heads about which
eagles might have delighted 10 soar, and
ears-they we're singularly we'll gifted with
ears. But wheels, also, they were en-
dowed with, and vast sides OF blank wall
the wheels rs large rs the ring of circus
the walls white and high rs cliffs OF chals
along an English coast
Among them. ON them, beneath, in and
a part Of them, were figures and fragments
OF figures of gigantic men. All were in
extricably interbleuded and superpOsed-
a mans bead and shoulder blazOned OF
the side OF an animal; a wheel with leg
for spOkeS rolling along the creature
back, vast section of wall, having NJ
contract with the earth, but with tai
hanging from its rear, like gigantic not
of admiration, moving along the line oh
securing here an anatomical horror amt
disclosing there a mechanical nightmare
In short, this appalling procession
which was crossing our road with astOnish
ing rapidisy, seemed made up Of unas
signed and unasScTted units, out OF whicl
some imaginative god might be about I,
create world Of giants ready furnished
with some OF the appliances OF high civil
lizstion. Yet the whole apparitiOn had 81
shadowy and spectral q look that the terro
il inspired was itself vague aud indefinite
like the terror OF a dream.
IL affected our horses as well ~ our
selves-they extended their necks, thre'
forward their ears and backed along tn
trail. For some moments we sat in on
saddles surveying the hIdeOuS and extrava
giant spectacle, without word and on
tongueS were lOOSened ONLY when it bega
rapidly TO diminish and recede, and at las
1t was resolved into train OF mules an
wagons, barely visible on the distant hori
ION. They were at least 10 miles ava
and outlined against the blue sky, wit
nothing visible beyond where the surfaC
of the globe fell away with increasin
steepneSs.
then remembered what my astOnisl